LIVE Community Power

From Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on green living, building and energy

LIVE Community Power is a community project that will cover the remaining 95% of the roof of the South Melbourne Market with solar panels. There will then be about 3,000 solar panels. Community members who rent, or who own a flat or apartment, and can't install solar panels on their roof, will be able to invest in the project so that they too can have solar panels. Those who own a heritage house, or have a large tree shading their north facing roof will also be able to have solar panels. The only difference is that they will be on the roof of the South Melbourne Market, not on their own roof.

The South Melbourne Market's new roof was completed in late 2012 with 150 solar panels (37 kW) that cover 5% of the roof. Funding for these solar panels was provided by Port Phillip Council as one component of the roof construction contract of $4.4 million. These panels will generate about 59,000 kWh per year (the Market uses about 800,000 kWh per year).

If the feasibility study determines that covering the entire roof is viable, then a total 3,000 solar panels (740 kW of capacity) could be installed. 3,000 panels would generate about 1,280,000 kWh per year. This would be enough electricity to provide the Market's total electricity needs with some over to be sold into the grid.